


Face Reveal

by Nordesse



Category: Banana Bus Squad, The Misfits (Podcast)
Genre: First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay, I love these idiotic boys, M/M, School has kept me busy, Swearing, This is taking me longer to finish than I thought it would, but we love gay, don’t worry about it, however long eventually is, it’s fine, i’ll finish it eventually, oof, so ignore how I haven’t updated this for like 3 months, this is very gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-22 16:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nordesse/pseuds/Nordesse
Summary: The day that Smitty revealed his face to the guys through a Skype call was a day that Kryoz knew he’d never forget. When they all first meet in person, John knows he’ll really never forget what it felt like to be so close to him.Thankfully, fate seems to be on their side.





	1. Skype

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know how the hell Skype works, because I’ve never used it, so we’re winging it over here.

The night was undeniably boring. John hadn't been invited to any recording sessions, and he didn't have any ideas that he was all that motivated for. He soon found himself browsing through several of his friends' YouTube channels, but Smitty's in particular caught his attention. 

The self-declared milk bag was immensely likeable, to say the least, despite being the newest member to join their growing friend group. John loved Smitty's sense of humor that was similar to his own, and his enthusiasm was contagious. 

All of their friends normally talked in Discord at least once a week. Whether what they talked about was random subjects or scheduling future recording sessions, none of them really cared. They all liked to stay close and connected, despite the physical distances between them.

It was only after a few sessions that Smitty began joining the Discord calls and was invited to more and more sessions with all of the guys. He'd proven himself to be a good and reliable friend that all of them wanted to get to know. Smitty also introduced them to the Misfits (or recently nicknamed Gay Baby Gang), although John was the one invited to the majority of those sessions, along with Smitty. Their senses of humor clicked well, and he was happy to join their lively friend group.

All of the Discord calls had begun a little over a year ago now, and maybe two months ago was when Craig brought up the idea of the occasional Skype calls. Everyone, except Delirious, Ohm, and Smitty, were onboard with the idea. The video calls started up, and soon they were talking through both Skype and Discord once a week.

During a Discord call, they'd been harmlessly teasing and pestering Smitty to give up his reasons behind why he didn't join the Skype calls or show his face on his channel. Smitty blurted that he did have Skype, and the guys, including John, had pounced upon the man and attempted to drag the information up his throat through grilling questions.

This went on for nearly thirty minutes before Daithi announced that his username on Skype was the usual SMii7Y, and that their interrogation was useless. Smitty couldn't stop laughing as all of his friends audibly groaned in annoyance or pouted at the revelation that Nogla had been the one to find this out, of all people.

Now it was a normal occurrence for all of them to try and annoy Smitty by spamming him with calls as they went about their own weekly group call. It had even gone on to the point that, to all of their excitement, Smitty had joined one of the calls randomly two weeks ago.

But to all of their disappointment, his hand covered the camera and they didn't get to see him. Yet they all laughed as he playfully told them off, his little speech riddled with cursing and joking name calling. Brian was quick to bring up that he was breaking the Canadian stereotype, much to Evan's disappointment. Smitty simply flipped them off, his face still offscreen, before exiting the call.

John sighed and slouched back into his chair. He was unable to stop how his eyebrows furrowed at the memory, a ball of disappointment building in his gut. He'd been unexplainably hopeful when he'd seen the name SMii7Y appear on his monitor, only for a black screen to greet him.

"Fuck." He mumbled to himself, dragging a hand through his bleached hair. He entered Skype and waited for a few moments. Soon his monitor lit up with the familiar glow of the invitation to the group call, and he accepted it with a click.

"Took you damn long enough." He greeted. Tyler, Craig, Anthony, and Nogla were already present in the call.

"Fuck you, John." Tyler snarked, giving him an exasperated look through the screen. "Sorry that you're incapable of joining a call by yourself." John only smirked in response.

"Tyler!" Craig exclaimed. "You should join an Uno session with Nogla, John, and me!"

"Yeah! It’ll be fun!" Nogla chipped in, his accent as heavy as ever.

"When exactly did I agree to this?" John questioned, although he didn't truly care. He didn't have any planned sessions for tomorrow, anyways.

"Right now, I decided for you." Mini stated.

"Wow, someone likes to move fast in their relationships." 

"Fuck off, John." Tyler grumbled. When John glanced at him, Tyler's eyes were everywhere but his screen, and his cheeks were dusted a light pink.

There was a short jingle before Evan appeared on their monitors.

"Hey, guys." He greeted, sounding tired and resting his chin on his hand.

"Evan! You look like shit!" Nogla cheered, grinning.

"Thanks, Nogla. I appreciate it." Evan laughed, mussing up his hair even more when he ran a hand through it.

Anthony, who'd been silent until now, spoke up. "Have any recording plans for tomorrow, Evan?" He asked. The man was smirking with a knowing look on his face.

"Yeah, uh, Delirious and I are going to play a game or two." Evan was barely audible through his microphone, his cheeks bleeding into a noticeable red.

"I ship it." Nogla announced, striking his desk.

"No!" Evan cried, only becoming more red.

"Ex-fucking-actly!" Craig nodded frantically in agreement with Nogla, short giggles spilling from his lips.

Giving up on stopping them, Evan's head dropped to his desk with a dull thud and loud embarrassed groan. As the guys continued their teasing and Evan pointlessly tried to defend himself or ignore them, John found himself zoning out. 

He should ask Smitty if he's up for recording tomorrow. It'll have to be after the Uno session, but-

John's thoughts were abruptly cut off when another jingle cut through the talk. Everyone suddenly fell silent, their faces twisting in varying levels of confusion. No one else in the Discord call earlier that day had said that they'd be able to join the Skype call, other than the people already in it.

Another square appeared on their displays, and in it was an unfamiliar face. But there was no mistaking the voice that came with it.

"Sup, fuckers." Smitty greeted, an impish smile on his face.

John's ears ached with the sudden explosion of yelling. Mini and Wildcat were the most animated, but had large grins on their faces as they shouted out their exclamations of surprise and joy. Nogla seemed to almost be talking to himself, speaking louder than normal yet certainly not overpowering the other two ecstatic men. Evan had at first let out a startled, "What?!" But now he was simply grinning and laughing behind his hand, watching his friends' reactions with sparkling eyes. Anthony's loud, unique laughter was ringing through everyone's headsets.

John was shocked, stuck staring at the face on his screen. The man looked young, and John knew that Smitty was 21, four years younger than himself. His hair was short and dark brown, a color that his eyes matched. John guessed that under the right lighting, his eyes would look almost black. His lips were pink and pulled into a grin around white teeth. John was mindlessly enraptured, absently twisting some of the rings on his fingers. He didn't notice when the noise began to dial back.

"Hey, John." Smitty called, making John jolt and blink a few times, meeting his friend's gaze. Smitty's eyes narrowed as he smirked. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." 

John deliberately ignored the heat he felt building on his neck, sitting up and staring Smitty in the eye as he lifted his hands to make it very obvious that he was taking a screenshot. Smitty suddenly burst out laughing, his eyes squinting and a bright smile on his face, their other friends joining him.

John tore his gaze away. "I'm going to grab my vape." He muttered before throwing off his headset and exiting the recording room. He headed for the bedroom, but his thoughts were filling with the newly discovered identity of the brown-haired man. John shook his head, frowning while running a hand over his scalp. 

Why did how Smitty look matter to him so much? Obviously the reveal was a big deal, but he shouldn't be this caught up in it. Upon reaching his bedroom, he snatched his vape off the nightstand and took an immediate hit. It stained his tongue with its raspberry flavor, the smoke that he exhaled soon after pooling slowly in the air.

He started back to his recording room, dropping into his seat and slipping his headset back on. He took another short hit as he processed the conversation taking place.

"I don't really care if you guys know what I look like," Smitty was speaking. "I never really cared in the first place. I just felt like I was missing out, and I feel like I'll miss out on more shit if you're all too scared to reach out to me. Knowing what I look like makes things more open."

"Well, I'm happy that you weren't nervous about this, Smit." Anthony said with a small smile.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little nervous." Smitty let out a breathy laugh.

"Why were you nervous?" John asked, and he felt as if Smitty's dark chocolate eyes were piercing him.

Then Smitty's eyes flitted around. "I- I don't really know." He paused for a calming breath. "Just some dumb jitters, I guess."

As John took a deep hit of his vape and more idle conversation picked up again, Evan caught his eye through his display. This time it was Evan giving the knowing look, and for the rest of the call, John avoided the persistent looks he received whenever he stuttered while talking with Smitty. 

Later that night, he'd be lying if he said he didn't spend awhile observing the screenshot with Smitty in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, Smitty was right about missing out on future opportunities if he hadn’t decided to show his face.
> 
> He would’ve missed John’s di-


	2. 4th of July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Welcome to the place that’s going to be trashed by tomorrow!” Anthony announced, sweeping out his arm in a wide arc. The guys all laughed, and Smitty’s eyes at last met John’s as the group walked closer. Their smiles matched, and as the others headed back towards the patio, Smitty paused and let Anthony’s arm slip from his shoulders to wait nearby John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that Craig wasn’t at their 4th of July gathering-thing, but I wanted a few MiniCat moments, dambit.

The house was filled with excited, childish men, and the energy level was high. Members of the crew were gathering at Tyler’s house for their 4th of July celebration. When Tyler had first sent out the offer on Discord, there was an immediate flash of anticipation in all of them. 

John immediately said that he’d go. He rarely did anything for the holiday nowadays, so it was the perfect opportunity. All of the men would agree that they were most excited to see their friends face to face.

When Smitty announced that he would join the event, the crew had yelled and whistled in delight. It’d be their first time meeting him in person. The thought made John’s palms clammy, but his renewed enthusiasm nearly smothered his nerves. Meeting his best friend in the flesh would be something he’d never forget.

“John!” Tyler called, so John pushed off the wall he was leaning against and crossed into the kitchen to find him.

“Is Smitty nearly here?” Tyler asked once John reached him. One of his dogs, Kino, weaved between the two of them and panted happily.

“Yeah, he texted me when he landed. About thirty minutes ago.” 

“Good, he should be the last one here, then.” Anthony, Evan, Scotty, Craig, John, and of course Tyler were all there. The group was already taking out a few drinks and messing around with sparklers and firecrackers in the backyard, based off the shouts and snaps they could hear outside.

“It’s only gonna be nine and all of the fireworks are going to be gone.” Tyler sighed, rolling his eyes.

“That’s what happens when you invite a ton of man children into your home and give them drinks and loud, sparkly things.” John smirked, stumbling and laughing when Tyler shoved his shoulder in retaliation.

A few short knocks sounded from the other side of the front door. Archie and Kino snapped to attention, the latter letting out a few sharp barks. Tyler turned to John and grinned. “Smitty!” He cried at the top of his lungs, loud enough that the yells outside dimmed for a moment before bursting back to life with new vigor.

The men, a couple of them noticeably tipsy, rushed through the patio door, shouting incoherently and making a beeline for the front door. Scotty threw it open, and John only got a quick look at Smitty’s startled expression before he was engulfed in a large group hug. The dogs yapped and ran playfully in circles around the group.

Smitty’s bright laughter reached John’s ears as Tyler broke into a run and rammed into the other guys, joining their embrace. John stayed back, but a bright smile pulled at his lips.

“Smitty!” Craig yelled, his arms wrapped around one of Smitty’s. “You late fuck!”

“I got here almost exactly when I said I would!” Smitty argued, feebly pushing Craig with the limited space they had. They all finally began to separate, and Anthony threw an arm around Smitty’s shoulder to guide him through the doorway.

“Welcome to the place that’s going to be trashed by tomorrow!” He announced, sweeping out his arm in a wide arc. The guys all laughed, and Smitty’s eyes at last met John’s as the group walked closer. Their smiles matched, and as the others headed back towards the patio, Smitty paused and let Anthony’s arm slip from his shoulders to wait nearby John. From the corner of his eye, John saw as Evan glanced back at them with a smug look. He felt his neck flush a light pink.

When the door slid shut behind the rowdy group (Evan being the last one out), John stepped forward and opened his arms for a hug. Smitty beamed and wrapped his arms around John’s neck. John laid his arms around Smitty’s waist and lightly rested his chin on top of his head. 

“Hey,” Smitty murmured. “You’re taller than me. That’s not cool.” 

John chuckled. “Too damn bad, Smit.”

“Damb.” The word was muttered against John’s neck, making him repress a shiver. He tightened his hold on the shorter before releasing him and nodding toward the door leading to the backyard.

“They’ll be screaming for us in a bit if we don’t head out, Smit.” He said, and Smitty nodded as he bit his bottom lip. John stared for a moment before tearing his gaze away. 

“It’s Jaren.”

“Wha- Wait, what?” He stammered for a moment, raising a confused eyebrow.

“It’s my name. My actual name.” Smitty, or Jaren, laughed as he watched his friend with amused eyes.

“Well, now I know what name to scream when I come to-“ John started, his face already breaking into a grin.

“No!” Jaren yelled, giddy laughter bubbling up from his throat. “Shut the fuck up, John. You’re ruining the moment.” He snatched John’s wrist and began pulling him outside. As Jaren listened to John’s laughter behind him, he was infinitely glad his back was turned to the blond man to hide his furious blush.

Later in the night, when the sky was dark and Tyler brought out the more impressive fireworks, John and Jaren sat in the grass together. Their conversation came just as easily as it did during their recording sessions and group calls. Their jokes bounced off each other perfectly as they quoted memes they’d recently seen and classic vines whenever they could. Their only goal was to get the other to laugh.

They discussed upcoming games they were excited for and planned future sessions. Jaren enjoyed his drinks while John stoke sips and vaped. They dropped vulgar jokes and marveled at the flashy fireworks. Whenever either of the dogs passed by, they showered the animals with affection, giving out plenty of pets and hugs. They relished their time with each other. Neither wished for it to end.

When it eventually reached well past midnight and everyone was near passing out, all of them expecting hangovers in the morning, they called it a night. The pair ended up sharing a guest bedroom, dead asleep nearly as soon as their heads hit the pillows. When John awoke, his back was pressed against Jaren’s and his head ached. He got up, careful not to wake Jaren, and headed straight to the kitchen. There he knew he could get his morning coffee.

Tyler was already there, and only nodded in a silent greeting, fingers rubbing at his temple as he stood in front of a coffee machine with multiple mugs on the counter nearby. John gratefully took his offered mug before joining Anthony on the living room sofa. On the pullout couch nearby, Evan was still peacefully asleep. Kino’s claws tapped against the hardwood floor as he walked and settled at John’s feet.

They sat in weary silence, only soft sighs and sips of coffee disturbed it. Craig soon padded into the kitchen, accepting his own mug from Tyler and hoisting himself up to sit on the counter beside him. The two exchanged a short and quiet conversation that the others couldn’t hear, but heir small smiles, nervous looks, and red faces told them enough. 

When Evan awoke, he rolled onto his stomach and laid his head on his arms, gazing at the others in the room with bleary eyes. Soft footsteps came from the hallway, and Jaren entered to quickly take his share of coffee. He settled onto the sofa in the space left between John and Anthony with a tired huff.

John smiled and lightly tousled his friend’s hair, earning a lazy swat. “Morning, Jaren.”

“Jaren?” Evan yawned, looking confused. The rest of the men copied his look, gazing between the pair. A few of them yawned after Evan.

“Yeah, it’s my real name.” Jaren answered. He pulled his knees to his chest after setting his mug aside, resting his forehead on his knees and closing his eyes tiredly. They all accepted the answer in silence, mulling over the newly learned name.

It took a few hours for everyone to wake up and their headaches to more or less fade, but eventually all of them were lounging in the living room. John leaned back against the armrest of the sofa, his legs on Jaren’s lap. To Jaren’s left was Craig, and Tyler sat on the armrest next to the him. After finishing his coffee, Anthony had taken to lying on the floor. Evan was still bundled up in his blankets on the pullout couch with Scotty, the last to wake, sat beside him.

“So,” Anthony started, staring at the ceiling. “PAX East is coming up in a month. What’s the plan?”

“Who’s even planning on going?” Craig asked. 

“I obviously am.” Tyler stated immediately. 

“I’m going.” Scotty added.

“I’m pretty sure that all of us are going.” Jaren cut in. John looked at him in surprise, yet the Canadian just grinned back at him.

“You’re going?” Anthony asked, sitting up.

“Someone has to keep an eye on all you childish fucks.” 

“Like you’re much better, you’re just as childish as John!” Anthony laughed heavily, the others dissolving into their own chuckles.

John wrapped and arm around Jaren’s shoulders, holding back a smile as the man leaned against him in return. “I’m offended!” He gasped. “We are clearly the most mature.” 

“Says the one that can’t go five minutes without making a gay ass joke.” Tyler leered.

“I could make you come in five minutes.” Jaren burst out laughing at John’s sudden retort, hiding his face behind his hands.

“Fucking hell, I’m done. I’m going to get dressed, don’t break any of my shit while I’m not here to babysit.” Tyler announced, nearly stomping down the hallway.

“Pussy bitch!” Jaren called after him. John and Jaren leaned against each other for support as they laughed together until they were left breathless, both feeling content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing that morning scene, made me wanna curl up and sleep. I hope you enjoyed, more to come in the future!


	3. PAX East

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The weeks leading up to PAX East, the group planned.
> 
> The days leading up to PAX East, the group chattered with a lingering mix of nervous and excited energy.
> 
> At PAX East, John honestly couldn’t fucking wait to leave. But thankfully, he has seeing his closest friend again to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally double the length of the past two! I hope you enjoy! <3

The weeks leading up to PAX East, the group planned. Their calls were filled with discussion on exactly who was going and for how long, plans for fan meetups, who would be where at what time, and where they all would be staying. Evan advised everyone stay at a nice hotel he'd found last year. It was well kept, tolerated noise, and not too expensive. 

When everyone agreed, arrangements for who'd be sharing hotel rooms began. Tyler and Craig almost immediately stated that they'd share a room. Marcel offered to Scotty, who cheerfully accepted. Anthony and Evan agreed on sharing, and Jaren was left avoiding his camera lense. When John finally decided to ask him if he wanted to share, his eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically, looking relieved.

The days leading up to PAX East, the group chattered with excitement and asked what their friends were packing as they prepared themselves. They all were nervous. Everyone did the best they could to help out their friends, but their stomachs still fluttered anxiously as their countdown to the event grew shorter.

At PAX East, people bustled everywhere. The building was a hive of activity and noise, and John honestly couldn't wait to get out of there. He wasn't able to take a step in any direction without brushing against or bumping into someone. Sometimes the person would apologize before quickly moving on, other times they'd ignore it or maybe even send him a hostile glare. 

Cosplayers walked in groups and held their own meetups, gladly posing for pictures with those who asked and doing their best to remain in character. People wore and carried merchandise from different creators, and said creators walked the halls, smiling and stopping for pictures and signings with their personal pack of fans. John, having only just entered the building maybe twenty minutes ago, had already been recognized a handful of times. He was relieved that the majority of his own fans seemed to be just as laid back as he was, for they never became too overwhelming.

Jaren wouldn't arrive until later that night at the hotel, so John had time to kill. He aimlessly wandered about, trying a few games and intently searching for familiar faces. When he caught sight of Tyler and Craig standing near the wall and talking with a group of what John assumed to be fans, he let relief flood him and quickly approached the crowd. The fans cheered and called his name once they noticed him, and he smiled and flashed a short peace sign in response.

"I honestly can't fucking wait to get out of here." John said upon reaching his friends, carefully keeping his voice low enough so that only they heard him. 

"Most accurate shit I've heard all day." Tyler chuckled, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "All I want right now is to round up all the assholes and go drinking until I'm puking my organs out."

"That idea is just as amazing as it is awful." Craig commented, his laughter as bright as usual.

"I bet fifty that at least three pairs of the guys are going to fuck tonight." John declared with a suggestive look at the pair beside him. His lips only stretched further at the stuttering and red faces he received as a response.

"I'll make that one hundred." Tyler suddenly rebuked, sending a wink towards Craig, who immediately fell into a harsh coughing fit and backed away. John and Tyler couldn't hold back their wheezing laughter, yet the red that still blanketed Tyler's face didn't go unnoticed.

Granting them some mercy, John decided to drop the subject and move on. "So, what's the plan for the next few hours?"

They wandered the building, stopping multiple times to play a few games. Their fans followed after them, bickering amongst themselves and randomly calling out teasing insults. Tyler immediately received the most aggravated yells as soon as he set his eyes on Fortnite, and it soon escalated into the fans physically blocking his path whenever he took a step toward the booth. 

Many of them laughed uncontrollably as they did so, and after a few exasperated hand gestures from Tyler, he inevitably gave up on getting past them. Their exuberant cheers filled the air as he flipped them off, walking in a random direction.

It was a surreal experience for John, like every PAX was. It was filled with people, and he'd been recognized too many times to count and asked for signatures and pictures by people who'd seem to suddenly emerge from the crowd out of nowhere. He happily took weird photos with them and humbly listened to their unending praise. He still wasn't used to receiving so much attention; he didn't think he ever would be. 

Hours came and went in a flash, and despite how lively the event was, it was impossible to deny the weariness settling in their bones. Upon announcing their departure they were met with a chorus of upset sighs and groans from the remaining people trailing them, but the crowd said their varying goodbyes and slowly dispersed. 

John reveled in the feeling of being able to walk outside without awkwardly brushing against a stranger while he walked to the hotel with Tyler and Craig, who bantered back and forth. Digging his phone out of his pocket, John realized that Jaren would arrive at the hotel any second now, if he wasn't there already. 

A warm smile slipped onto his face at the thought of seeing his best friend in person again, and each of his steps gained a new burst of energy that only amplified when they rounded a corner and their destination came into sight.

"Do you think Smit will be there by now?" He questioned, his gaze so focused on the building that he completely missed the smug looks that his friends exchanged. 

"Probably, it's just past the time he said he'd get here." Tyler answered. When they finally reached the ornate glass doors and entered the hotel, they stumbled into quite the scene.

The men that made up the Misfits Podcast; Fitz, SwaggerSouls, Toby on the Tele, McCreamy, Zuckles, and iNoToRiOuS, all stood together in a group as their loud, irrepressible jokes and laughs echoed through the spacious lounge.

Despite the obvious ruckus, what caught John's attention the most was the fact that the Misfits all crowded around a certain Smitty, who grinned as Cameron pulled him into a one-armed hug. Mason and Jay nearly tackled him as they playfully fought over who got to hug him first while Matt rolled his eyes with a reluctantly fond look on his face. Swagget’s laugh filtered through the helmet that hid his face as he made some snide comment that John couldn’t discern, but Toby’s laugh quickly followed it.

John was endlessly thankful that Tyler and Craig had each talked with the scuffed group before, or else he would've had no idea how to properly introduce them without making the group of six look even more insane than they already painted themselves to be. The employee behind the counter, who seemed to have just given the Misfits their room keys, stared with wide eyes and looked ready to run and hide away.

John, Tyler, and Craig neared the rowdy group as if they were a clan of hyenas, the first to notice their approach was none other than Smitty.

"Guys!" He shouted, eyes glinting with excitement as he extracted himself from Mason’s and Jay's grips. He stopped in front of John, pausing for a moment as the group behind him all turned to see the newcomers. The still, quiet moment didn't last long after John couldn't resist pulling Jaren in for a tight hug, the younger returning the embrace without hesitation. Within seconds they were surrounded by all the guys as they converged into one huge group hug. Greetings were shouted and any looks they received from the strangers around them were ignored.

John and Jaren stood at the center of the chaos, still nestled together. John took the chance to rest his chin on top of Jaren's head again, smiling when he felt Jaren's shoulders shake as he laughed into John's chest. He pushed down the disappointment that welled up from not being able to hear Jaren's laughter due to their thunderous companions around them.

Eventually everyone backed away, the noise level gradually decreasing. John and Jaren separated to exchange equal smiles before it was John's turn to be fiercely attacked by Mason and Jay.

"All right, children," Fitz announced and lightly prodded the pair away from him as Jaren only stepped away and laughed at John’s misfortune. "Stop harassing the gay man." Cam finished with a smirk, and John tried to ignore the perceptive eyes, averting his gaze. Cam brought him in for a short hug and ruffled his hair. 

"But, Dad!" Mason whined, making Jay laugh as he slouched his shoulders and threw his head back during his exaggerated complaint.

"'Naw, Mason." Jay interjected after he reined in his laughter, grabbing onto the youngest's arm. "The sooner we get outta here, the sooner we can go get fucked up at the club." The two huddled together and fell into giggling.

"Who has the chocolates from a Manger Ryan?" Swagger asked.

"He gave them to me." Toby spoke up, stuffing a hand into his pocket to crinkle the plastic bag residing there.

"You're going to a club?" Tyler questioned, nudging Craig with his shoulder.

"Hell yeah, there's one just a few blocks down the street." Swagger said, his smile obvious despite the helmet. "You guys wanna tag along?"

"I'll go," Jaren threw in. "I won't do drugs, but I'll definitely do alcohol."

"We need to get Smitty absolutely fucked one day." Mason laughed, glancing to the edibles residing in Toby's pocket.

"If he sticks around us, it's bound to happen eventually." Matt added.

"Not until he wants to try it." Toby cut in, giving his friends a stern look. "We're not going to make him do stupid shit like us unless he knows he wants to." 

Mason looked to Jaren expectantly, who shook his head. "Not this trip, boys."

There was a short chorus of "aw's," but they didn't push him any further, instead turning to set their sights on John.

His decision didn't take much thought. "Not tonight for me either, I don't want to leave Smitty stuck with babysitting me while I'm high." His remark earned him multiple laughs and they nodded along in agreement.

Setting up in their respective hotel rooms didn't take long. All of them were miraculously on the same floor, so they planned to just wait around for everyone to finish getting their things sorted and meet in the hallway. John hoped there weren't any people trying to nap or something in their rooms; he could hear the other boys even when his room's door clicked shut behind him.

John and Jaren sorted out their belongings in relative silence. John snagged the bed farthest from the door and closest to the window, which Jaren poured over but was quick to laugh it off. There wasn't any tension in the silence, which John was immensely grateful for.

Although based off their friendship, he didn't understand why he expected an awkward air to rest between them in the first place. Jaren was an easy person to get along with ever since John had first met him, and after they'd grown closer that fact certainly hadn't changed. 

But with how John had been reacting to the Canadian recently, even through a screen, he assumed that Jaren may have picked up on the new air that seemed to weave itself around them and refuse to disappear.

It didn't take long for everyone to finish settling in, and soon the group was walking the streets together. Their yelling and shoving caught a few pedestrians' attention. Some walked by looking mildly disturbed by their more crude and dark humor, while others hid their smiles or openly laughed.

Cam and Toby held the doors open for the group once they reached the appropriate building, ushering them inside with cheeky grins before falling in behind them. The flashing lights and loud music was dazzling, John wasn't sure where to look first. Mason was quick to spot the bar, snatching Jay's wrist and chattering with him energetically as he dragged him straight there.

Jaren and John exchanged a short look paired with a smile before following after them. Mason was already waving over the bartender to get the boys their drinks before the rest of their group had even finished assembling around them. The poor bartender looked overwhelmed as they called out several names of the different drinks they wanted in almost complete tandem, but thankfully Toby got everyone to calm down and take turns. 

Mason convinced Swagger to immediately begin downing shots with him, ignoring Cam's protests of them not to go overboard. They'd certainly be very drunk by the end of the night.

As Cam approached him, John hid a smile at his friend's exasperated sigh. "I really hope that you two aren't planning to get shit-faced tonight. They're going to be enough to handle." He gestured behind him to the pair leaning back in their seats as they downed shots.

Jaren laughed and shook his head. "I'm not drinking too much tonight; I don't wanna have to deal with a hangover when we're gonna be at a convention tomorrow. They're gonna feel miserable." 

John silently agreed, nodding in affirmation when Cam turned his questioning gaze to him. 

"Thank fuck. You guys can probably just wander around in here until we find you to leave. We can handle those idiots as long as we have at least two babysitters at all times. We're definitely hiding the edibles from them." Cam's last comment made them all grin.

"You fucking better." John laughed before turning away to head to the lounge area he could see nearby, smiling again when he saw Jaren at his side.

The night passed quickly, Jaren and John spending the majority of their time slowly sipping on drinks and chatting, pausing their conversation every so often to watch Mason and Swagger. 

Throughout the night Mason could commonly be found almost hanging on Jay, who's face was always dyed red as he did so. Mason would lock his arms around his torso in a tight grasp, drunkenly muttering in Jay's ear as his head rested on his shoulder. Jay would hug the other back despite how flustered he looked, not once pushing him away.

Jaren and John would repeatedly giggle at the sight, able to feel each other's shoulders shaking as they leaned together for support and feebly tried to catch their breath.

Swagger would try to drag Cam or Toby onto the dance floor, but they simply declined and laughed at their shorter friend as he pouted childishly. When he approached Matt, he receive a very blunt "No," before his fellow American went right back to nursing his own drink, blatantly ignoring the small fit that Swagger threw. 

Sometimes they'd spot Tyler and Craig lounging about together with tangled legs and arms wrapped securely around the other. Every so often they would join Jaren and John to poke fun at their drunk friends in the distance. 

The pair was the first to leave and start back to the hotel, much to the amusement of the rest of their friends. Even Mason and Swagger we're still aware enough to join in on making the playfully suggestive jokes that were passed around after Matt pointed out Tyler leading Craig out of the club with a   secure hand around the man's wrist.

“Fuck, does this mean I owe Tyler a hundred?” John had muttered to himself.

“What?” Jaren laughed with a raised eyebrow. John had offered a short explanation to the guys that triggered another bout of snickering.

“But you don’t know how many other guys in the other gang are fucking.” Jaren pointed out.

“We fuckin’ yoinked you cunts from ‘em.” Mason slurred as he cut in. “You’ll never know, now!”

Toby was the one to finally call it a night an hour later, insistently rounding the group up and making sure no one was accidentally left behind. Back in the hotel, he and Fitz brought Mason and Swagger to their rooms, leaving behind medicine for their oncoming hangovers in the morning and making them drink a few glasses of water. 

Jay, who was sharing a room with Mason, promised to keep a close eye on him for the night. Mason still had an arm linked with Jay's and babbled on about random subjects, tapping his friend's shoulder whenever his attention wandered elsewhere. Jay's fond, gentle smile and soft eyes never slipped.

Fitz stayed behind with Swagger at their shared room, their bickering hopefully not waking anyone in the surrounding rooms, and the remaining four finally carried on down the hallway.

Upon passing Tyler’s and Craig's room they fell silent, eyeing the door with sly looks. "I bet they totally fucked." Matt stated suddenly, drawing up mischievous laughs from everyone. John grinned as he watched Jaren try helplessly to smother his giggles behind his hand. 

John's grin didn't leave him when they reached his and Jaren's room, closing and locking the door behind them after saying goodnight to Toby and Matt. Jaren was still giggling so much that he knocked into John's shoulder.

So John, with a devious smile, shoved him back so that he landed on his back in bed, making the brunet's laughter burst out from his chest with new strength. John was glad he hadn't taken too much from the bar as he forced himself not to follow his closest friend down. Instead he made himself walk past Jaren and to his suitcase and other bags piled nearby his own bed. 

"I call showering first." He announced, entering the bathroom with a bag in hand.

"Mother fucker!" Jaren's exclamation was muffled through the door, making John grin all over again. 

When each of them had showered and changed, they laid on their respective beds and browsed quietly on their phones. Sometimes one of them would let out a short chuckle at something they saw, but otherwise everything was peaceful while they each slowly drifted off into sleep. 

Their remaining full day with each other and their friends went by too quickly by all of their standards. At the convention they talked with fans, taking more pictures and signing their belongings. 

Jaren wasn't recognized by the vast majority of the fans that visited. The few that did catch on happened to be close enough to hear and distinguish his voice and laugh through the loud talking. They approached to compliment him enthusiastically, thankfully not announcing to the crowd around them that they'd found SMii7Y. Jaren thanked and hugged each of them, gladly accepting their hesitant requests for pictures. 

Their time outside of PAX was spent wandering through the city, joking around with their friends and buying a few random items at the mall they visited. By the time they got back to the hotel after the long day, all of them were too tired to do much else other than swap wishes of goodnights, change their clothes, and fall into their beds. But John found himself unable to sleep, staring sadly up at the ceiling as he listened to Jaren's breathing calmly deepen. 

In the morning they'd have to say goodbye. 

Neither looked forward to it, but when the time came and hugs were exchanged at the hotel entrance, John offered to go with Jaren to see him off at the airport, since John's flight didn't leave for over another hour. 

At the airport, John gained a sudden burst of courage that brought him to plant a short kiss on Jaren's forehead. Pulling back from their lengthy hug, Jaren's sad smile quickly changed to a look of surprise, and John felt dread creep up his spine as he internally cussed himself out.

Before he could launch into an apology, Jaren caught his hand and left his own kiss on John's ring laden fingers. He smiled slyly before spinning around to board his plane, leaving John wide-eyed and red-faced, staring after the bold Canadian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I didn’t plan on having the Misfits actually in this, but then I got the idea and couldn’t resist.
> 
> I also didn’t plan on having the McZuckles ship in this, but fuck, they’re too cute.


End file.
